Utton fastener

ABSTRACT

A button fastener for attaching an item, for instance a button to sheet material and particularly to fabric, by placing the button on one side of the fabric and by looping a flexible filament secured on one end to an elongate sleeve successively through the fabric, the holes of the button and again through the fabric. The filament is then threaded through the sleeve and pulled as tight as desired. The sleeve wall locks the filament portion now located within the sleeve in its tightened position, thereby securing the button flatly to the fabric with the sleeve anchored flatly against the opposite side of the fabric.

51 Aug. 28, 1973 1 BUTTON F ASTENER [76] Inventor: Henry .1. Modrey, 158 Eagle Dr.,

Stamford, Conn. 06903 [22] Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 235,552

Related 1.1.8. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 873,039, Oct. 31,

1969, abandoned.

[52] 13.8. CI 24/90 W, 24/150 F? [51] Int. Cl. A441) 9/00, A44b 1/18 [58] Field of Search 24/90 TS, 90 W, 150 FP,

24/16 PB, 30.5 P, 103, 113 R; 292/317, 320, 321, 322; 135/15 CF 1,719,904 7/1929 Saver 24/113 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,288,128 2/1962 France 24/16 PB 284,545 12/1952 Switzerland 24/90 TS Primary Examiner-Donald A. Griffin Attorney-Frederick E. l-Iane et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A button fastener for attaching an item, for instance a button to sheet material and particularly to fabric, by placing the button on one side of the fabric and by looping a flexible filament secured on one end to an elongate sleeve successively through the fabric, the holes of the button and again through the fabric. The filament is then threaded through the sleeve and pulled as tight as desired. The sleeve wall locks the filament portion now located within the sleeve in its tightened position, thereby securing the button flatly to the fabric with the sleeve anchored flatly against the opposite side of the fabric.

17 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,304

2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,304

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BUTTON FASTENER This application is a continuation-in-part application based on my copending application Ser. No. 873,039 filed Oct. 31, 1969 and now abandoned.

The invention relates to a fastening device for attaching buttons, tags or similar items to sheet material such as fabric, plastic, leather, foil, etc., and also for joining two or more layers of sheet material such as fabric.

Various attempts have been made to find a substitute for sewing on buttons or similar items, but all substitutes as heretofore known are clumsy and slow in operation and unattractive in appearance. Moreover, button fastening devices as heretofore known require skillful handling of rather intricate insertion tools, and the use of special buttons or the reaming of the holes provided in conventional buttons. They also require insertion of one fastener for each hole in the button, and selection of fastener elements which have precisely the required length.

THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device for attaching buttons of all types or similar items to fabric or other sheet material which produces a strong tie between the button and the fabric and also for joining two or more layers of sheet material and which can be easily and rapidly operated without requiring special skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device for attaching buttons or similar items in which a filament used for tying the button or similar item to the fabric or other sheet material is strongly and automatically held in its tightened position thereby securing the button or other item safely and permanently to the fabric or other sheet material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device for attaching buttons or similar items to fabric or other sheet material, the filament of which has a tip portion that can easily pierce the fabric or other sheet material and also be easily pushed into and through a locking sleeve, thus forming a closed loop, and a locking or retention portion that when pulled into the sleeve locks therein with a strong and powerful grip. The frictional locking force between sleeve and filament is substantially enlarged by the configuration of the sleeve which results in one edge of the sleeve bore biting into the filament when the filament loop by which the button is attached, is tightened. As a result, the retention force produced by the fastening device is far higher than the force required to tighten it. Tests have shown that pulling of the locking or retention portion of the filament into the sleeve by gripping the tip portion protruding from the sleeve produces a retention or locking force which is a multiple of the threading pull force. It has been experimentally established that a 2 kilogram threading pull may produce more than kilogram force of retention at the button. The button fastener therefore combines easy locking operation with strong retention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device for attaching buttons or similar items to fabric or other sheet material in which the tip portion of the filament is needle'like pointed and/or stiffened so that it is capable of readily piercing even comparatively heavy material. Advantageously, stifi'ening and pointing of the tip are effected by embedding therein a length of stiff wire, thus providing the filament in effect with a built-in needle. If the wire consists of steel, this has the additional advantage that the fasteners can be readily counted, oriented and packaged by automatic devices known under the trademark PIN- TREX and using magnetic means for feeding, orientation and placement. Feeding and inserting devices of this kind are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,346,942 and 3,444,894 of the applicant. Comparable operational handling advantages can be obtained without use of an embedded wire, if the fastener is made from a magnetically permeable molding compound such as described in British Patents Nos. 1,070,902 and 844,6).

In the event that the sheet material is particularly difficult to penetrate such as thick leather, plastic or heavy canvas, or if it is undesirable or impractical to provide the tip portion of the filament with an inserted needle, the invention provides a separate threading needle which is temporarily attachable to the tip portion.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved fastening device such that one single size of the device suffices for all thicknesses of fabric or other sheet material, as the device adjusts itself to the thickness of the material to which the button or other item is to be attached, as well as to various thicknesses of buttons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved fastening device which fills two of the holes in a button by means of one single fastener and which therefore is both time-saving and inconspicuous in that it simulates the visual appearance of a button sewn on by thread.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved fastening device with supporting or anchoring surfaces which strongly resist pulling of the button away from the fabric, said surfaces being on the back or rear side of the fabric so that they are invisible on the side to which the buttonor other item is attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved fastening device which effectively prevents pulling of the locking sleeve on the backside of the fabric and tearing a hole through the same, by distributing the applied force upon a comparatively large area of the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved fastening device which permits interposition ofa spacer between the button and the sheet material as is desirable or necessary when the button is to be fastened by a stem to a heavy material such as coat fab- A further object of the invention is to proivde an auxiliary tool which facilitates the tightening of the fastener, and after tightening of the fastener the cutting off the execs length of its filament, and which in addition can be used to pierce holes into dense fabrics or materials.

A still further object the the invention is to provide a novel and improved fastening device which fits all types, configurations and sizes of buttons, tags, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforepointed out objects, features and advan tages, and other objects, features and advantages which will be pointed out hereinafter are obtained by providing an elongate locking sleeve made, for instance, of a plastic thermosetting or thermoplastic material, and attaching to the outside of the sleeve one end of a pliable filament also made of a suitable plastic. This filament has a preferably pointed and/or stiffened slim tip portion and a thicker retention or locking portion. The tip portion due to its slimness can be easily inserted into and pushed through the fastener sleeve. The crosssectional configuration of the retention or looking portion of the filament is such that it will abut tightly against the inner surface of the sleeve with a strong frictional grip. According to the invention, the frictional retention can be further strengthened by providing a roughened, beaded or serrated surface on the retention or locking portion of the filament.

The upper edge of the sleeve bore at the point where the filament enters the locking sleeve, serves as a brake which digs into the filament when the fastener is tightened. In tightening the loop formed by the sleeve and the filament inserted therein, the filament portion which projects from the sleeve bore and forms part of said loop is increasingly pulled into a position approximating a right angle to the sleeve axis. As a result, the inserted part of the looped filament is forced'to'make a steep upwards turn around the upper edge of the sleeve bore. As the tightening action increases, the turn of the filament becomes still steeper and the upper edge of the sleeve digs into the filament with considerable'force. The resulting retention force is further increased by pull at the button, so that the tensile resistance of the fastened button increases in approximate proportion to the applied load.

According to still another aspect of the invention, a substantially positive locking of the filament within the sleeve can be effected by dimensioning the crosssection of the sleeve so that two lengths of the filament can be threaded through the sleeve in side-by-side position. These two lengths will automatically engage each other and also press against the inner wall surface of the sleeve. Primarily, however, it is the double loop of the filament which results in a positive lock, even in the absence of effective frictional locking means.

To affix a button to fabric by fasteners according to the invention, the button is placed upon one side of the fabric and the filament is then threaded from the other side of the fabric through the same, then through two holes of the button, again back through the fabric, and finally inserted into the sleeve. The filament is now tightened by pulling it through the sleeve until both the button and the sleeve rest flush against the fabric on opposite sides thereof and the filament is at a substantially right angle relative to the sleeve, when the aforedescribed braking action of the upper edge of the sleeve becomes effective, thus locking the filament in position and securing the button to the material. As the length of the fastened sleeve now rests flat and flush against the fabric, an anchoring surface is provided by the sleeve which prevents pulling of the sleeve through the fabric by tearing it. This anchoring surface can be enlarged by providing lateral wings on the sleeve, thereby increasing the area of engagement between the sleeve and the fabric and thus distributing the pulling force over a large area of fabric. This is of importance if the button is attached to a light or loosely woven fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the accompanying drawing several embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. I is a perspective elevational side view of a fastening device according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are modifications of the fastening device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a modification of the filament applicable to any one of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 shows an initial stage of the attachment of a button to fabric by the fastening device according to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 modified according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view of a more advanced stage of the fastening of the button;

FIG. 7 shows the completed fastening operation;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a locking sleeve for the fastening device as shown in FIG. I on an enlarged scale, the filament being shown tightened;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a locking sleeve for the fastening device as shown in FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a button fastened to the fabric by thefastening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to FIG. I0 showing use of the device for fastening a shank-type button;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 10 and l 1, showing fastening of a button to thefabric, spaced apart therefrom by a spacer;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the fastened button according to FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 are plan views of fastened standard two and four-hole buttons, respectively;

FIG. 15 is an elevational perspective view of a further modification of the fastening device;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing the fastening of a button to fabric by means of the fastening device according to FIG. 15, forming a double loop;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of an auxiliary tool intended to facilitate pulling of the fastener filament;

1 FIG. 18 is a fragmentary section of FIG. I7 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 19 is an auxiliary threading needle attachable to the filament of the fastening device for facilitating threading of the filament through heavy fabrics or other materials; and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing the use of the threading needle according to FIG. 19 for fastening a button to fabric by the fastening device according to the invention.

Referring now to the figures more in detail, the fastening device according to the invention as exemplified in the figures comprises basically an elongate sleeve or tube 1 made of a material whichpreferably has some flexibility or pliability, but is sufficiently stifi' to maintain its form when subjected to a comparatively substantial pulling force. Various plastics suitable for the purpose are readily available in the market; it is generally advantageous to select a plastic which has a high coefficient of friction and a certain stiffness, and to which a roughened surface can be readily applied, for a purpose which will become apparent from the subsequent description. A filament 3 made of plastic material is secured to or integral with sleeve 1 at point la thereof. This point is preferably located fairly close to one end of the sleeve though spaced therefrom. The filament extends: from the sleeve substantially normal thereto. FIG. 1 shows the filament at a right angle and in FIG. 8 the filament is very slightly outwardly slanted for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

Filament 3 has a locking or retention portion 3a and a tip or threading portion 319. As it is clearly shown in all figures (except FIG. the cross-section of portion 3a is enlarged over the cross-section of tip portion 3b. There are no fixed dimensions for the thickness of either portion 3a or portion 3b; the thickness of the tip portion should be selected so that it can be easily pushed through the bore of the fastener sleeve, and the thickness of portion 3a is correlated with the inner diameter of sleeve 1, so that it can be pulled through only under as much friction as is compatible with operational requirements. Portion 3a is shown as extending from its attachment point la to the tip portion 3b, but may start spaced apart from point la so as to prevent the friction-increasing striations, beads or teeth of the filament from sawing into the fabric when the button is in use as a garment closure.

Sleeve I is preferably slanted at its end 2, for instance with a slant of approximately 45. This slant is helpful in threading the tip of the filament into the sleeve because it provides a sectionally enlarged opening. However, the sleeve may also be straight at both ends as is shown in FIG. 2. The upper edge 2a of the sleeve bore which produces the filament-braking action above referred to when the fastener loop as formed by the filament is tightened, is preferably left sharp whilst all other edges and corners of the sleeve are generally rounded and smoothed, for the comfort of the wearer of the garment to which the buttons are attached.

Intermediate of attachment point la and end 2 of the sleeve, two substantially flat wings lb and 1c extend from the sleeve. These wings constitute a flat support surface for the sleeve, as will become more evident from the subsequent description. Their root section 2b also serves as a reinforcement of the critical edge portion 2a of the sleeve. Of course, the flat support surface may be differently shaped. The support wings and the portion of the sleeve on the far side of filament root la also serve to prevent the sleeve being drawn backwards through the fabric and into one of the holes of the button.

Referring to FIG. 1, the retention or locking portion 3a of the filament thereof includes in its surface striations or shallow lengthwise grooves 10. These striations or grooves serve a double purpose, namely, to increase the friction action of filament portion 3a and also to simulate the appearance of thread. The required friction can also be produced by other means, such as the roughening of the surface of filament portion 3a, or the provision of enlarged beads 11 on the filament as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows a filament with saw teeth I2 which coact with the sharp upper edge of the sleeve in the manner ofu ratchet and paw], as described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 9.

The tip portion 3!: of FIG. I is sharply pointed at its end as it is indicated at I3. The ends of tip portions 3b of FIGS. 2 and 3 are similarly pointed.

The tip portion of FIG. 4 is stiffened by molding into the tip portion a length of a stiff wire 14, the end 14a of which protrudes from the end of the top portion. The protruding wire end facilitates the piercing of fabric and other materials, and forms in fact a built-in needle. In addition, insert wire 14 facilitates gripping of the filament for the purpose of tightening the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The locking or retention portion 30 (not shown) of FIG. 4 may be shaped in the same manner as portion 3a of FIGS. 1, 2 or 3.

Referring now to FIG. 5, this figure shows flush attachment of a two-hole button 6 to a fabric 7. To attach the button the same is placed flat upon the top side of the fabric and the sharply pointed end of filament 3 of the fastening device shown in FIG. 4 is looped from the other side, first through the fabric, then through one hole 6a from the bottom side of the button, then from the top side of the button through the other hole 6a, and again back through the fabric. Finally, the tip portion is threaded into and through sleeve 1 from the slanted end 2 thereof until filament portion 3b protrudes from the other end of the sleeve. As it is evident from the previous description, the slimness of tip portion 3b in relation to the sleeve bore facilitates the aforedescribed threading of the tip portion of the filament which passes easily through the sleeve.

To complete the attachment of the button, the thicker portion 3a of the filament is forcibly pulled through the lseeve until a tight loop is formed, holding the button on the fabric. If a wire-reinforced filament is used, the stiffened end 14 of the tip portion affords a better grip for pulling by being deformed into what is in effect a handle (see FIG. 6).

As it is shown in FIG. 8, the pull applied to the protruding filament portion 3b essentially forces the filament to enter sleeve end 2 at substantially a right angle to the sleeve axis. As a result, the upper edge 20 of the sleeve bore digs into the filament thus producing a strong braking or detention action.

FIG. 8 further shows that the filament when tightened in conjunction with the sleeve defines a closed approximately rectangular outline. Such outline has the advantage that when the fastener is used to secure a button to fabric both the button and the sleeve are held flat against the fabric thereby securing the button in the correct position and preventing tilting of the sleeve. Tilting of the sleeve may cause damage to the fabric due to the sharp edge of the sleeve and sliding of the sleeve through the fabric and even through a button hole. Any tilting tendency of the sleeve is further counteracted by a sleeve extension 2c thereby correspondingly enlarging the support area of the sleeve. The approximately rectangular outline of the filament loop is automatically formed by the aforedescribed substantially right angle entry of the sleeve into sleeve end 2 when and while the filament is tightened and is assisted by the slight outward slant of the filament as shown in the figure. When the fastener is used to join two or more layers of fabric or other sheet material, the sleeve in conjunction with the respective substantially parallel side of the filament holds the fabric layers flat against each other without danger of the sleeve slipping through the layers and damaging of the fabric and without puckering of the fabric.

If the serrated or toothed filament of FIG. 3 is used, one of the teeth will be caught by the upper edge 2a of the sleeve as is shown in FIG. 9, thereby creating a positive lock in which the teeth constitute a ratchet and sleeve edge 2a the coacting pawl. This arrangement avoids damage to the filament by the digging action of the sleeve edge, but it has the disadvantage that the serrations or teeth reduce the effective cross-section of the filament which in practice is much thinner than shown. It has the additional limitation that the fastener cannot be tightened and locked in any position of the filament, but only at every tooth of the toothed filame'nt portion. However, as the serrations or teeth in practice are minute and close together, this limitation is not of great practical importance. Tightening of the filament will again produce the aforedescribed approximately rectangular outline of the filament loop.

Forcible tightening of the sleeve is continued until the support surface of the sleeve as formed by wings lb and 1c rest flat against the bottom side of fabric 7 and the loop in the filament is tightened against the top side of the button, so that the button is now held against the fabric in the same manner as a sewn button.

FIG. 6 shows the filament partly tightened and FIG. 7 shows the completed operation; the superfluous end of the filament can now be cut off for neatness.

It should be pointed out that no specific length of the filament is required. Its length should be such that in the operational stage shown in FIG. 6, the protruding length of tip portion 312 does permit a convenient gripping of the filament.

The different configurations of the fastener filament 3a which are shown herein, are but variations of the concept of creating friction between filament portion 3a and the inside of sleeve 2. Regardless of the configuration given to the filament surface, it is essentially the dimensional fit between the sleeve bore and the filament and the coefficient of friction of the plastic material which control the frictional hold between filament and sleeve. This frictional hold is essentially equal in both directions, and it must be kept at a comparatively low level so that the tightening pull does not become uncomfortable for the user of the device. The substantial increase in locking action in the direction opposite to the tightening pull, viz. the tensile resistance at the button, is derived from the interaction between the sharply bent filament and the entry edge 2a of the sleeve.

FIG. 10 shows a substantially flat button similar to the type shown in FIG. 5, attached to fabric 7. FIG. 10 further shows that the effective length of the sleeve, that is, the distance between the root la of the filament and sleeve edge 10 preferably approximately matches the spacing of the button holes. Such correlation also contributes to the aforedescribed formation of the advantageous rectangular outline of the filament loop. It should be pointed out in this connection that in practice the spacing between the button holes varies much less than the dimensions of buttons so that at least an approximation of a rectangular outline is automatically obtained for most applications.

FIG. 1 1 shows a button 6b of the shank type, similarly attached. Buttons of this type are widely used.

FIG. 12 shows a button 6 secured to fabric 7, spaced apart therefrom by interposing a spacer ring or bead between the button and the fabric while threading the fastener. lnterposition of such spacer is used when the layer of sheet material to be held by the coat button is particularly heavy. Its use corresponds to that of stemsewn buttons in garments.

FIGS. 11 and 12 also show the aforedescribed characteristic and important approximately rectangular outline of the filament loop.

FIG. 13 shows a top view of a fastened button. As may be noted, all that is visible is a short length of the filament, resembling sewn thread.

FIG. 14 which shows top views of two fastened buttons illustrates that conventional two-hole buttons or four-hole buttons may be fastened with the device according to the invention in the same manner, each fastener filling two holes in the button.

While in all previously described embodiments of the invention only one length of two-hole filament is inserted into the sleeve, FIGS. 15 and 16 show a fastening device the sleeve of which accommodates two lengths of the filament side-by-side.

For this purpose, fastener sleeve 8 has an elongate cross-section such as a generally rectangular or ovaloid configuration. As a result, the respective outer surface of the sleeve presents a more or less flat support surface, thereby making unnecessary the provision of wings 1b and 1c. The width of the sleeve of FIG. 15 effectively prevents pulling of the sleeve back through the fabric or the holes in the button.

The inner long axis of the sleeve is so dimensioned that it is capable of accommodating two lengths of filament 3 in side-by-side arrangement. The filament is dissimilar to the filament of FIG. 1 in that the locking or retention portion 30 may have the same diameter as the tip portion 3b. This type of fastener can be made without the friction-increasing features described with reference to FIG. 1, 2 and 3. The double loop formed inside sleeve 8 and opposed by the filament is pullresisting by itself. Only a bare minimum of friction is required to prevent involuntary displacement of the cut end of the inserted filament. A partial rim 2b has been added to the sleeve as a reinforcement for the functionally important braking edge 2a.

The double loop form of the button fastener has the advantage that very little force or effort is required to tighten the fastener but forming the double loop obviously takes more time than forming a single loop. The button fastener of FIG. 15 has, however, operational advantages if made in larger dimensions than those of garment button fasteners which are restricted by the diameter of the holes in standard buttons as herebefore mentioned. It is useful primarily for fastening operations connected with tents, heavy tarpaulins and sails, quite especially since in these fields it can be used not only for the attachment of buttons and other parts but as a means for stitching several layers of fabric to one another. If the excess length of filament which projects from the fastener sleeve after tightening, is not cut as described with reference to the fasteners of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the filament can be pushed back into the sleeve, due to the absence of strong friction, so that the fastener can be opened and reused. This fastener therefore, can be used either as a permanent fastener or a temporary closure.

Attachment of a button 6 to a layer of fabric (not shown in FIG. 116) by means of a double-loop fastener is generally the same as previously described, except that the filament is pulled twice through the sleeve and once around the same, as it is clearly shown in FIG. 16.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show an optional auxiliary tool 20 to be used if the operator should find it difficult to apply sufficient pull to the protruding filament portion, for instance when the material to be pierced is dense or heavy.

The tool is formed of a strip 21 of flexible hard metal such as tempered steel. The strip has preferably near one end, a cut-out 22. Part of the cut strip material is bent to form a re-entrant tongue 23 terminating in a sharp or cutting edge 23a. Insertion of the filament into the slot as shown in FIG. 18 will cause edge 23a to bite into the filament thereby releasably securing the tool to the filament. The operator can now pull at the tool which affords a much better grip than the thin tip of the filament.

After tightening, the tool can be pushed upwards on the filament until it abuts against the sleeve. A sharp, sudden pull in this position will cause the sharpened cutting edge 23a to sever the filament.

To increase further the usefulness of this auxiliary tool the other end of the strip is formed into a sharp tip 21a which enables the operator to pre-punch holes into dense and heavy fabrics prior to threading the filament through the fabric.

The aforegoing operations refer principally to home sewing. in industrial garment manufacture, the tightening and cutting methods explained with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 16 are not used. The most convenient tool for tightening the fastener and cutting the excess filament is a pair of long-nosed gripping pliers with side-cutters, of the type generally used in the wiring of electronic devices.

Finally, FIG. 19 shows another optional auxiliary tool in the form of threading needle for use of the fastener in especially heavy and dense materials such as leather, plastic and canvas. Such needle has a tubular portion 26 into which the end of tip portion 3b can be conveniently pushed. The tip of the needle is sharply pointed, as indicated at 26a. The needle is made from thin sheet metal stock. it must be able to pass through standard holes in buttons, and its inside must accommodate the slim portion 3b of the fastener filament.

Lanced from its inside is a springy tongue 27 which is displaced when the filament is pushed into the threading needle. The tongue holds the filament against displacement in one direction.

The needle acts as an auxiliary sharp tip at the end of the filament. Due to the spring action of tongue 27, threading can now be performed as previously described, and as shown in FIG. 20, without involuntary separation of needle and filament while the needle is being pushed through the fabric. Upon completion of the threading operation the needle is easily removed from the filament which is subsequently pushed through the fastener sleeve and tightened, as previously described.

The auxiliary insertion needle is not required for ordinary sewing operations, but is useful for attaching buttons to dense and heavy material such as leather, plastic and heavy canvas.

The design of the fastener according to this invention is severely circumscribed by the requirements for its application and use. These requirements are specific to buttons and garments, and therefore exclude as practical solution of this fastening problem any design features which may be pertinent to other applications but which do not confonn to the above requirements. More specifically, a fastener filament which cannot be threaded through the standard holes provided in standard buttons, or a filament-retaining mechanism which occupies more than the absolute minimum of crosssectional space at the back of the fabric, cannot be considered in a practically and commercially acceptable button fastener.

As aforestated, the diameter of the filament in the fastener according to the invention is limited by the size of standard holes in garment buttons. The retaining portion of the fastener is expected virtually to disappear in the fabric and to be free of projections or sharp edges and corners which might irritate the wearer of the garment. The mechanism, although consisting of only one piece, is however expected to perform a variety of intricate mechanical functions. It must provide a freely threadable gripping part; it must allow comparatively easy movement of the filament in the tightening direction while opposing removal pull in the opposite direction with considerable force; finally, it must lock at any point of the (locking section of the) filament. The fastener according to this invention provides for these various functions within the smallest configuration by sleeve edge 2:: which provides a unidirectional braking mechanism of high efficiency without projecting cross-sectionally from the diameter of the sleeve tube.

The concept of the fastener according to the invention makes it possible, therefore, to maintain the full permissible diameter for the filament, with the result that the filament is capable of sustaining the loads required for heavy coat buttons, and that one size of fastener can be used for all and any button types and fabric thicknesses which are customarily used for garments as different as light shirts and heavy overcoats.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastening device for permanently attaching a button having button holes to fabric, plastic, leather, foil and other sheet material, said fastening device comprising:

an open-ended and substantially rigid tubular locking sleeve; and

a bendable filament of generally circular crosssection made of plastic material fixedly attached at one end to the sleeve adjacent to one end thereof and extending from the sleeve at a substantially right angle therewith, the other end of the sleeve having at its rim a peripherally elongate lengthwise directed sharpened edge, said other sleeve end constituting an entry end and said one sleeve end an exit end for the filament, said filament having a tip portion fitting the inner peripheral outline of the sleeve along the length thereof with a loose tit and an elongate portion extending from said tip portion to the sleeve and fitting the inner peripheral outline of the sleeve with a tight fit along the length thereof for engaging the inner sleeve wall with a frictional fit, the length of the filament being such that upon insertion of the closely fitting filament portion into the sleeve from the entry end thereof at least the tip portion of the filament protrudes from said exit end of the sleeve, placement of the sleeve upon one side of the sheet material and of a button to be attached upon the other side of the sheet material in juxtaposition to the sleeve, sequentially threading the filament through the sheet material, then through button holes, then again through the sheet material, and finally lengthwise inserting the filament into the sleeve from the entry end thereof so that a part of the closely fitting filament portion is juxtaposed to said cuttin edge and at least the tip portion protrudes from the exit end of the sleeve, then pulling the filament further through the sleeve until the button and the sleeve are held flat against the sheet material, said pulling tight of the filament causing the sharpened edge at the sleeve to bite into the juxtaposed filament material whereby the combined action of frictional engagement of the closely fitting filament portion with the inner sleeve wall and of the retention of the fialment at the sharpened edge causes permanent attachment of the button to the sheet material.

2. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve has an outer substantially flat transversely enlarged surface defining an anchoring surface disposed substantially in a plane including the point of attachment of the filament to the sleeve.

3. The fastening device according to claim 2 wherein said flat surface is formed by wings disposed on opposite sides of the sleeve.

4. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sharpened end of the sleeve is slanted toward the point at which the filament is attached to the sleeve thereby forming said sharpened edge.

5. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said tip portion is tapered to form a cone terminating in a sharp elongate point.

6. The fastening device according to claim 5 wherein a hard metal wire is lengthwise embedded in said tip portion, said wire having an end protruding from the tip portion.

7. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes lengthwise striations increasing the friction coefficient of the filament surface with the inner surface of the sleeve thereby strengthening the retention of the filament within the sleeve and also simulating the appearance of thread.

8. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes a plurality of circumferentially protruding beads.

9. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes a row of teeth, the gap between any two of the teeth in said row engaging the sharpened edge of the sleeve at said entry end thereof upon tightening of the filament thereby causing said biting of the sharpened edge into the filament material.

10. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve has a crosswise elongate crosssectional outline, the inner long axis of said outline being such as to accommodate therein two sections of the closely fitting filament portion in side-by-side relationship thereby retaining the filament within the sleeve.

11. In combination, a button having two holes and the fastening device as defined in claim 1 wherein upon sequentially threading the filament through the sheet material, one of the button holes, the other button hole, again through the sheet material and then lengthwise through the sleeve from the entry end thereof, the filament forms a closed loop and upon tightening the filament by pulling the same from said exit sleeve end the filament in conjunction with the sleeve defines an approximately rectangular closed outline two opposite sides of which hold the button and the sleeve flat against the sheet material on opposite sides thereof.

12. The combination according to claim 15 wherein the effective length of the sleeve between the point of attachment of the filament and the sharpened edge at the entry end of the sleeve approximately matches the spacing of the button holes thereby forcing the filament into substantially right angles with respect to the sleeve at the attachment end of the filament and at the entry end for the filament into the sleeve.

13. The fastening device according to claim 1 and further comprising an auxiliary tool removably attachable to the tip portion of said filament to facilitate threading of the filament and piercing of the sheet material.

14. The fastening device according to claim 13 wherein said auxiliary tool comprises a strip of hard springy metal having adjacent to one end a slot for extending therethrough the end portion of the filament, and a curved tongue extending from the strip toward the slot and terminating in a sharp edge for clamping and cutting said filament portion between said edge and wall portions of the slot.

15. The fastening device according to claim 14 wherein said tongue is lanced out of the material of the strip at one end of the slot.

16. The fastening device according to claim 13 wherein said auxiliary tool is in the form of a threading needle comprising gripping means engageable with said end portion for releasably gripping the same.

17. The fastening device according to claim 16 wherein said threading needle is tubular for threading the tip portion of the filament therethrough from one end of the needle, the other end of the needle being slanted and pointed.

III 

1. A fastening device for permanently attaching a button having button holes to fabric, plastic, leather, foil and other sheet material, said fastening device comprising: an open-ended and substantially rigid tubular locking sleeve; and a bendable filament of generally circular cross-section made of plastic material fixedly attached at one end to the sleeve adjacent to one end thereof and extending from the sleeve at a substantially right angle therewith, the other end of the sleeve having at its rim a peripherally elongate lengthwise directed sharpened edge, said other sleeve end constituting an entry end and said one sleeve end an exit end for the filament, said filament having a tip portion fitting the inner peripheral outline of the sleeve along the length thereof with a loose fit and an elongate portion extending from said tip portion to the sleeve and fitting the inner peripheral outline of the sleeve with a tight fit along the length thereof for engaging the inner sleeve wall with a frictional fit, the length of the filament being such that upon insertion of the closely fitting filament portion into the sleeve from the entry end thereof at least the tip portion of the filament protrudes from said exit end of the sleeve, placement of the sleeve upon one side of the sheet material and of a button to be attached upon the other side of the sheet material in juxtaposition to the sleeve, sequentially threading the filament through the sheet material, then through button holes, then again through the sheet material, and finally lengthwise inserting the filament into the sleeve from the entry end thereof so that a part of the closely fitting filament portion is juxtaposed to said cuttin edge and at least the tip portion protrudes from the exit end of the sleeve, then pulling the filament further through the sleeve until the button and the sleeve are held flat against the sheet material, said pulling tight of the filament causing the sharpened edge at the sleeve to bite into the juxtaposed filament material whereby the combined action of frictional engagement of the closely fitting filament portion with the inner sleeve wall and of the retention of the fialment at the sharpened edge causes permanent attachment of the button to the sheet material.
 2. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve has an outer substantially flat transversely enlarged surface defining an anchoring surface disposed substantially in a plane including the point of attachment of the filament to the sleeve.
 3. The fastening device according to claim 2 wherein said flat surface is formed by wings disposed on opposite sides of the sleeve.
 4. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sharpened end of the sleeve is slanted toward the point at which the filament is attached to the sleeve thereby forming said sharpened edge.
 5. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said tip portion is tapered to form a cone terminating in a sharp elongate point.
 6. The fastening device according to claim 5 wherein a hard metal wire is lengthwise embedded in said tip portion, said wire having an end protruding from the tip portion.
 7. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes lengthwise striations increasing the friction coefficient of the filament surface with the inner surface of the sleeve thereby strengthening the retention of the filament within the sleeve and also simulating the appearance of thread.
 8. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes a plurality of circumferentially protruding beads.
 9. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said closely fitting filament portion includes a row of teeth, the gap between any two of the teeth in said row engaging the sharpened edge of the sleeve at said entry end thereof upon tightening of the filament thereby causing said biting of the sharpened edge into the filament material. row
 10. The fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve has a crosswise elongate cross-sectional outline, the inner long axis of said outline being such as to accommodate therein two sections of the closely fitting filament portion in side-by-side relationship thereby retaining the filament within the sleeve.
 11. In combination, a button having two holes and the fastening device as defined in claim 1 wherein upon sequentially threading the filament through the sheet material, one of the button holes, the other button hole, again through the sheet material and then lengthwise through the sleeve from the entry end thereof, the filament forms a closed loop and upon tightening the filament by pulling the same from said exit sleeve end the filament in conjunction with the sleeve defines an approximately rectangular closed outline two opposite sides of which hold the button and the sleeve flat against the sheet material on opposite sides thereof.
 12. The combination according to claim 15 wherein the effective length of the sleeve between the point of attachment of the filament and the sharpened edge at the entry end of the sleeve approximately matches the spacing of the button holes thereby forcing the filament into substantially right angles with respect to the sleeve at the attachment end of the filament and at the entry end for the filament into the sleeve.
 13. The fastening device according to claim 1 and further comprising an auxiliary tool removably attachable to the tip portion of said filament to facilitate threading of the filament and piercing of the sheet material.
 14. The fastening device according to claim 13 wherein said auxiliary tool comprises a strip of hard springy metal having adjacent to one end a slot for extending therethrough the end portion of the filament, and a curved tongue extending from the strip toward the slot and terminating in a sharp edge for clamping and cutting said filament portion between said edge and wall portions of the slot.
 15. The fastening device according to claim 14 wherein said tongue is lanced out of the material of the strip at one end of the slot.
 16. The fastening device according to claim 13 wherein said auxiliary tool is in the form of a threading needle comprising gripping means engageable with said end portion for releasably gripping the same.
 17. The fastening device according to claim 16 wherein said threading needle is tubular for threading the tip portion of the filament therethrough from one end of the needle, the other end of the needle being slanted and pointed. 